


Angie's Big, Unnecessary, Heterosexual Wedding

by javabi



Category: Agent Carter (TV)
Genre: Angst, Breaking Up & Making Up, Domestic, Established Relationship, F/F, Jealousy, Mentions of homophobia, Weddings, with a little bit of fluff :)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-18
Updated: 2015-07-18
Packaged: 2018-04-10 00:52:25
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,262
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4370951
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/javabi/pseuds/javabi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Angie has finally made it as an actress, but rumors are starting to fly because she's in her 30s and unmarried. She decides to marry a man to make sure her career is safe, and even though Peggy isn't a huge fan of the idea, she goes along with it. For now.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Angie's Big, Unnecessary, Heterosexual Wedding

In 1961, to be a 40-year-old woman and unmarried was like getting "Cats > People" tattooed across one's forehead: not something you did if you wanted to have a successful social life.

So in that sense Peggy could understand this silly marriage idea. Kind of. She understood (only too well) the fear of being different, being an outcast. What she  _didn't_ understand was why Angie was willing to go to such extreme measures to avoid it.

"You don't even love him!"

"You think I don't know that, Peg?" Angie replied hotly from across the room. She picked up yet another box full of her belongings and dropped it heavily next to the door, along with all the others. The flat looked horrible and empty without her things in it.

...the flat they'd been sharing for the past seven years. Together. As lovers. Peggy decided to point this out.

"You've already got a girlfriend, what do you need a husband for?"

Angie sighed. They'd touched on this point endlessly over the last few months, and both of them knew it. "Peggy, we've talked about this. I'm an actress now, the damn reporters have got me under the microscope. I'm 36 and I've never been married, it's starting to look suspicious..."

"Since when have we ever cared about what things look like to reporters?!"

"Since I landed my dream job, Peggy."

That was the second time Angie had used her real name. Affectionate nicknames like "English" and "Pegster" had slowly been disappearing from Angie's ( _Angela's_ ) vocabulary over the last few weeks, and Peggy had definitely noticed the change. It didn't improve her mood to hear it now.

Angie sighed, looking at Peggy with something that was unmistakably pity. "I'm really sorry, Margaret. But we did talk about this, and you agreed that it was a good idea. The wedding is tomorrow, we had plenty of time together, but we both know that it had to end eventually. People like us just don't do that sort of thing nowadays."

Peggy looked at her shoes, tears welling in her eyes. Of course she had known that, deep down. She just never thought they'd actually have to act on it.

Their (her?) wooden floor stared solemnly back at her, blissfully unaware of the bitter tears that were about to hit its surface. Peggy was standing on a spot that had a large dent in the floorboards. She remembered that night - a hilarious evening when both of them had gotten just a little bit drunk and decided bowling in their living room would be a good idea. Angie had dropped the ball onto their floor and created that dent, distracted and doubled over laughing because Peggy was in the kitchen trying to balance a bowling pin on her nose...

Forcing the memory violently out of her mind, Peggy clenched her jaw and willed away her tears. " _Margaret_?" she asked, an angry edge in her voice.

Angie smiled in a way that Peggy assumed was supposed to be apologetic, but really she just seemed even more pitying. It was actually quite pathetic, and Peggy found herself disgusted.

"Sorry, Peggy... I just think, well, you know - we can't be together anymore, so I figured I should... um, stop with the nicknames. To make it easier." Angie said haltingly, as if she were less confident about this plan by the second.

Peggy didn't even try to soften the sharpness in her voice. "Are we not to see each other ever again after tomorrow, then?"

"I never said that!" Angie genuinely sounded outraged.  _Good_ , thought Peggy savagely. "Of course we can still be friends - Raymond knows we're close, now we just have to be close  _friends_ instead of close... you know."

"Lovers?"

"Yeah." Angie shifted on her feet. She looked around the half-empty parlor, at the pictures of the two of them that were still displayed on a nearby bookshelf, and the holes-ridden Afghan draped over a recliner, the one that Peggy had tried to crochet for Angie's 33rd birthday.

"Angie, I'm in love with you. And we both know you feel the same way about me. What makes you think going back to being friends will be so easy?"

"I didn't say it would be easy," Angie replied quietly. "but I expect you to at least try."

Silence fell between them. Years ago, when they had first started this thing, before S.H.I.E.L.D had even been a thought in Peggy's head, Angie had promised her that she would never get in the way of Peggy's goals and ambitions. Peggy had promised the same. Neither of them had mentioned what they would do if it was the relationship  _itself_ that got in the way.

But a promise was a promise, and Agent Peggy Carter was always as good as her word.

"I'm sorry," Peggy whispered, stepping closer to Angie. Those damn tears were threatening to come back again, she could feel them prickling in front of her eyes. "You're right, I can try."

Angie sniffled, wiped her nose quickly on the back of her hand, and threw herself into Peggy's arms joyfully. "Thanks, Pegster."

"You just got bogeys all over me, Angela Martinelli."

"But you still love me anyway. Help me bring all these boxes out to the moving truck?"

"All right."

* * *

The next morning was a blur of activity and excitement. Who knew that the day of a wedding could be so busy, considering how seriously people took wedding  _planning_?

Peggy followed Angie around all morning, ready for every time extra hor d'oeuvres needed to be made, a cousin needed to be found, flower arrangements needed touching up, and other such small (but important) tasks to make Angie's big day perfect. It was a small party, thankfully, with only close friends and family in attendance. Along with some members of the press, of course, since Angie was an up-and-coming film star now.

Peggy also got to meet Raymond for the third time. He was just as quiet and calm-mannered as she remembered him, barely even jittery despite the fact that this was his wedding day. She admired that about him, and appreciated that he was so accommodating of Angie's sometimes ridiculous demands (like when she pushed him halfway down the stairs for accidentally seeing his bride before the wedding).

He was nice, but not good enough for her.

Peggy truly tried her best to keep bitter thoughts like these in the darkest corners of her mind where they belonged, but it was difficult. The way he looked at her... like she was a prize poodle, not the person who was about to make his world infinitely happier and more amazing, certainly not like she was the love of his life.

When the time finally came for the ceremony to actually happen, the church was abuzz with excitement. From her place as maid of honor beside the altar, Peggy overlooked the sea of chattering, happy people dressed to the nines. Some of them were already dabbing the corners of their eyes with tissues, concerned that a salty drop might fall on one of their colorful dresses or sharp suits. Very proper, very traditional. Peggy only recognized a few of the faces in that crowd, even on Angie's side of the aisle. For some reason the realization made her stomach churn.

The whole affair was making her nauseous, to be honest. Everything from the festoons of flowers lining every pew to the cheery "Welcome to the Romano/Martinelli Wedding!" sign at the door seemed gaudy, silly, unnecessary. Just like the event itself.

 _Shut up_ , Peggy snapped at the tiny voice in the back of her head that was making these observations. This morning she had realized what was still bothering her about this whole thing: Trying to be Angie's friend would be simple compared to how difficult it would be to know her life would be happier without Raymond in it.

But Peggy pushed these thoughts out of her mind as the pianist began playing the wedding march.

Just as he was supposed to do, Raymond remained facing toward the priest as everyone in the crowd rose and Angie entered the church. Everyone tittered appreciatively, her father beamed as he walked beside her, and Raymond's best man leaned over to make some sort of comment about her beauty to the groom. Peggy tried not to gag at it all.

She looked at Angie at last, and her heart dropped into her toes.

The dress was undeniably gorgeous, a lacy, cream-colored, high-necked thing falling just below Angie's knees. Very stylish. There were flowers in her hair, which was styled up elegantly, the way that she had done it when Peggy took her to the opera that one time. She wore no veil, so her face was easily visible, even from the back of the church.

Peggy bit her lip when she saw Angie's face. She looked nervous, excited, as people normally do on their wedding day. But her smile didn't reach her eyes. After over a decade together, Peggy knew exactly what her smile looked like when she was happy. Angie's eyes would crinkle on the sides and her gums were clearly visible when she was ecstatic, and this was not that smile. The realization very nearly broke Peggy's heart, and for a few minutes she completely forgot to focus on what was going on around her.

When she finally returned to her senses, the priest was already getting to the vows. Peggy tried to read Angie's body language to see how she was feeling, ready to fake some sort of illness if needed. She would happily support this decision if Angie genuinely wanted to get married, but she would be careful not to let the woman who was so important to her get trapped in a marriage that was doomed from the start. But Angie's face and posture betrayed no such feelings; aside from her smile (which only Peggy knew), she seemed as happy as any bride should be.

"Do you, Raymond Romano, take Angela Martinelli to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, from this day forward until death do you part?"

The most boring, standard vows one could imagine. Ugh.

"I do."

He didn't sound as happy as he should, considering he was marrying the most incredible woman in the world.

"And do you, Angela Martinelli, take Raymond Romano to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day--"

"Actually," Angie interrupted, her voice light and playful. Peggy's heart skipped a beat.  _What was she doing?_

The audience behind them was similarly taken aback. A shocked whisper began to spread through the pews, and the priest stuttered to a stop. Raymond simply raised his eyebrows.

"I've been thinking," Angie continued. Her tone was still strangely giddy, like she was suggesting all of them take a ride in a hot air balloon. "Raymond, you seem like a nice fellah, and I'm sure we'd have a swell life together."

A confused silence settled through the room.

"But I still think I'd prefer spinsterhood." 

With an exhilarated laugh, Angie grabbed Peggy's hand and dragged her back down the aisle and out of the church before anyone could stop them.

"Angie!" Peggy wheezed as she was pulled outside, struggling to breathe both because of the fact they were sprinting and because she was somewhat shocked. "Angie -- what about your future -- the acting -- the reporters --"

"Screw the reporters!" Angie yelled, still dragging Peggy along. They were outside the church now, standing alone in the road. "Where's your car?"

"I took a taxi, now would you please just explain to me--"

"No time, they'll be out any minute!" Angie pulled her to the side of the building, towards the limousine Raymond's father had hired to take the newlyweds away from the church.

"Angela, are you  _sure_ you want to do this?" Peggy asked breathlessly, realizing the full extent of Angie's plan.

Finally, Angie stopped running and turn to face Peggy. "I've never been sure of much, English, but I've always been sure about us. I don't want to let go of any of this, I don't want to just be  _friends_ , even if it means I've got to go back to being a waitress."

Peggy felt her heart melt a little bit. "I'd be yours if you were a movie star or a waitress or the Queen of England herself, darling."

Angie's real smile had returned, crinkly eyes and pink gums and everything. With a giggle, she was about to throw herself onto Peggy, but something behind Peggy's back made her stop. "Come on, into the limo - they're coming out of the church."

They grasped each other's hands tightly and ran for the long black car. After a brief exchange with the driver, Angie dragged Peggy into the back seat. Seconds later, they were speeding away from the church, away from Raymond and the oppressive life he represented.

"I'm glad you'll be spending the rest of your life as a spinster, Ang."

"Yeah, well I didn't like Raymond that much anyway." said Angie, pressing herself into Peggy's arms as they sprawled together in the back of the limo. "He wasn't an international super spy with impeccable taste in shoes, so I was never really that interested."

Laughing, Peggy leaned down to kiss Angie properly. They were never ones for a traditional social life anyway.

**Author's Note:**

> I absolutely love writing these two - especially when I get to add even more complexity to their relationship. This fic hasn't been edited, so if you see any errors feel free to point them out to me! And of course, comments and kudos are always appreciated ♥ Thanks so much for reading!


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